Korea Experts Delve into the Revolution of Hallyu
Hallyu is a part of Korea’s identity in the era of cultural globalization. Since its emergence in the late 1990s, the wave has hit many, including youths, workers, homemakers, etc. People worldwide enjoy products of Korean culture as part of their life. As one of the countries with the most K-fans, Indonesians always ensure they are updated with current Korean pop culture trends.
To fulfill Indonesian K-fans’ curiosity about Hallyu, Korean Cultural Center Indonesia held a “Current situation and future of Hallyu in Indonesia” webinar with experts and practitioners in Hallyu on October 8, 2020.
The webinar consists of three parts. The first part of the webinar delves into the rise of Korean popular culture as a global phenomenon.
Dr. Andrew Eungi Kim (Professor at Korea University) presents how Hallyu emerged and how it’s perceived globally. Dr. Kim breakdown the boom of Korean cultural products export to other developed countries to Hallyu 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0. Dr. Eva Latifah (Head of Korean Studies Undergraduate Program at the University of Indonesia) and Dr. Florian Hutagalung (lecturer at Jeju Tourism Organization) dig deeper into the matter by discussing the most recent coinage for the wave, “New Hallyu.” Another issue brought was the tendency of the Western world to place East Asia as their “top-of-mind” of Asia.
The second part of the webinar discusses the Hallyu wave in Indonesia then and now. As a journalist, Christie Stefanie has covered Hallyu as an ever-growing phenomenon. She says that now, Indonesian fans have choices of platforms to enjoy Korean content. Film director and marketing team of CGV Indonesia, Rivki Morais (Content Acquisition & Marketing at CGV Indonesia), agrees and emphasizes that the number of collaborations between Korean and Indonesian artists has risen significantly now compared to the past. On the other hand, a Lecturer at the Indonesia University of Education, Ashanti Widyana, sheds light on competition between fandoms in a “streaming race.”
The third session uncovers the future of Hallyu in Indonesia. Fitri Meutia (Lecturer at National University) assumes that Hallyu will still enjoy its bright days ahead. Mr. Greg Namgol Kim (Director of KOCCA Indonesia) concurs with the hypothesis, saying that Indonesian consumers have an unchanging fondness for Korean popular culture trends. As a youth, Shafira Handoyo (A student of Korean Studies at the University of Indonesia) shares that her belief in Hallyu’s continuance has guided her to choose the Korean major. She presumed that Korean cultural products would still be much appreciated.
This webinar uncovers years of Hallyu’s revolution in Indonesia and the global stage. Still, the Hallyu’s heyday lies forward.
*This article was originally published in Honorary Reporters Korea.net old Website.
